The losers bracket stage of the Apex Legends Global Series Split 2 playoffs on Saturday was as surprising as the tournament’s group stage. Several favorites to win the playoffs exited early, and many teams from EMEA struggled despite the region’s reputation as one of the best in the world. Instead, teams from both the North and South regions of Asia Pacific proved they shouldn’t be underestimated.
The first round of losers was a place for several big names to prove that their first-day issues weren’t indicative of their quality as a team. GMT Esports and Spacestation Gaming did just that, finishing first and second, respectively.
GMT were forced to use a substitute in these playoffs, missing Ukrainian star Maksym “Max-Strafe” Stadniuk. The team recruited former Kungarna member Rasmus “maydeelol” Zettergren and rode their consistency to easy qualification into the second round of losers, winning the first match of the round and finishing in second place two other times. For Spacestation, a team renowned for their ability to make rotations and stay alive late in games with consistency, success was a matter of winning crucial fights.
They did that, winning two games courtesy of their ability to fight teams cleanly and without taking too much damage. Teams that fight without having any of their members knocked have a much better chance of repelling potential third parties, and SSG managed that.
The two teams were joined by K1CK, who scored 31 of their 46 total points in one game, as well as perpetual North American underdogs CLG, South American side Oddik, and APAC North teams FC Destroy, FENNEL, V3 VEGA, and GameWith. Finally, Reply Totem clutched out a big win in the last match of the round to leap from 14th place up to sixth overall.
The first round of losers also meant the first teams eliminated from the Stockholm LAN, and there were some shocking names included: G2, SCARZ, Acend, and Crazy Raccoon all stumbled out of the tournament. Many North American fans felt G2 could win the Split 2 playoffs before the event began. Disjointed fighting and contesting drop spots with iG international and Alliance, however, hampered the team. In the wake of the disappointment, team IGL Tyler “Dezignful” Gardner announced he was stepping down from competitive play.
SCARZ and Acend’s championship pedigree in EMEA couldn’t keep them in the competition, either, as both teams struggled to gain momentum in losers and unceremoniously bowed out of the competition. Crazy Raccoon, one of APAC North’s strongest teams, was a popular dark horse pick to win the Split 2 playoffs as well, but going down to Reply Totem in the final game of the round sealed their fate.
The second round of losers bracket began with a win on Storm Point from Spacestation, their third victory of the day. They were in fine form in both losers bracket lobbies, easily punching their ticket to the finals on Sunday with confident plays. The highly aggressive but inconsistent Team Empire grabbed an easy third-party victory in game two. Runner-ups Team Burger and the former Gambit roster Players also earned some crucial points.
The final game of Storm Point went to GMT, and NRG, a team with a disappointing run so far in Stockholm, finally posted a great game. They finished second and notched 13 kills for 22 points, putting them back in contention for a spot in the finals.
With just three games left to play, APAC North and South shone on World’s Edge. In game four, the Japanese squad V3 Vega pulled down a 15-kill win for 27 points in one game. The field narrowed, with only a few points separating 10th place and the very bottom of the lobby. Team Unite, another Japanese team, won game five, continuing APAC North’s hot streak, and the Aussie Team Burger continued its run of consistently high placements. All three teams would go on to qualify for finals, alongside fellow APAC squads aDRaccoon and GameWith.
Going into the final game, a mere handful of points were set to determine which teams would make it into Sunday’s finals and who would watch from the sidelines. Players suffered an early exit, falling to Team Empire. Through the tournament, Players clearly felt the absence of their usual third, Artur “Artyco” Tishchenko, who was barred from leaving his native Ukraine due to the ongoing war. Players wasn’t the only EMEA team to miss out on finals, either. Of the ten teams EMEA sent to Stockholm, only three made it into tomorrow’s final round: Alliance, qualifying through winners bracket, GMT, and Team Empire.
In sharp contrast, North America sent eight of its ten teams to finals. NRG, the second-highest earning team in Apex history, joined Spacestation in qualifying for Sunday. Ultimately, CLG and G2 were the only two NA teams to miss out on the championship round.
There was heartbreak for Japanese team Fennel, who were right on the cusp of qualifying as well. They made it deep in the final game of the losers bracket round, only to get hit with a well-placed Kraber shot from Spacestation’s Angello “Xenial” Cadenas and fall just three points short of a finals qualifying spot.
As Fennel fell, the Brazilian squad Elevate rose. The team was last place in the lobby after five games, and were almost certainly going to be eliminated from competition. Instead, Elevate had an amazing last game. The same Kraber shot that dashed Fennel’s hopes was crucial help for the South American squad in the final circle, and they overcame Spacestation to win game six, jumping up 11 places to qualify in one fell swoop.
The top 10 teams from the second round of losers bracket join the top 10 squads from winners bracket to form the final 20-team lobby of the Split 2 Playoffs. The finals begin tomorrow at 9am CT.
